Byodoji TempleShikoku 88 Pilgrimage Sites
22nd Temple
Byodoji in Anan, Tokushima Prefecture, is temple 22 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
The temple was founded in 814 by Kobo Daishi Kukai.
The principal Buddha is Yakushi Nyorai. Prayers for recovery from illness, the gan-fuji cancer prayer, and strong legs and back are offered here. Water associated with Kobo Daishi still springs in the grounds.
The former head priest lived through illness four times and still serves. The temple also keeps the story of a father who pulled his child around the pilgrimage in a box cart.
The main hall is livestreamed at all hours. You can also request prayers from this site.
See live streaming detailsLearn about Yakushi NyoraiIntroducing Byodoji Temple
A temple established with the vow to "equally heal the illnesses of people's minds and bodies"
Brief History of Foundation
Founded: Konin 5 (814 CE) Founder: Kobo Daishi Kukai
Byodoji is a Buddhist temple founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai. The principal deity is Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha), carved by the Great Master himself. The Master performed goma fire rituals for 100 days at this site and established the temple with a vow to equally heal people's minds and bodies.
Currently, it is the 22nd temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
Origin of the Name
Mountain name: Hakusui-zan (White Water Mountain), Temple name: Byodoji (Temple of Equality)
The water from the well Kobo Daishi dug is called Kobo’s sacred water. It is said to have been milky white at first, and the mountain name became Hakusuizan.
Additionally, when the Great Master carved the principal deity Yakushi Nyorai, he made a vow to "equally heal people's minds and bodies," leading to the temple being named "Byodoji" (Temple of Equality).
Sect & Affiliations
Koyasan Shingon Sect & Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Association
Our temple belongs to the Koyasan Shingon sect and was founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai. As the 22nd temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, we welcome between 100,000 and 200,000 pilgrims annually.
It has become a sacred place where local parishioners living in the surrounding countryside and pilgrims from around the world come together to offer prayers to Buddha.
Prayers that are told here
Gan-fuji (Prayers for Healing from Cancer) & Healthy Legs
Byodoji has long been known as a temple of gan-fuji, prayers offered in the face of cancer. People still come to Yakushi Nyorai to pray for recovery, it is said.
Prayers for sound legs and back are also told here. A story remains of a pilgrim who drank from the well Kobo Daishi dug, stood again, and continued the pilgrimage.
About prayers concerning cancerThe legend of the parent and child in a wheeled box
The Buddhas of Byodoji
These are the five deities for whom Byodoji performs monthly goma rituals, including Bhaisajyaguru, the principal deity. Learn about the origins and devotion associated with each deity.
The principal Buddha, vowed to heal the illnesses of all people equally.
Also called Tamonten; the deva of fortune and victory.
A manifestation of Mahavairocana; the wisdom king of the sacred fire.
The Kannon with eleven faces.
The bodhisattva vowed to save the world in the absence of a Buddha.
24-Hour Live Streaming
Byodoji Temple offers live streaming of the main hall 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Please pray to the Buddha anytime, anywhere, where you want to worship.
See details about live streamingMain Hall
Ways to Pray with Byodoji
Goma rites and prayer requests performed in the main hall, and Añjali offered in front of your screen. All can be requested online.
Goma Prayers at Byodoji
Byodoji performs monthly Goma rites for five deities, Yakushi Nyorai, Bishamonten, the Eleven-Faced Kannon, Jizo Bosatsu and Fudo Myoo, as well as the 8,000-Stick Goma with Fudo Myoo as its principal deity. Choose a Goma by your wish or its ennichi and apply for a prayer.
Choose a Goma by your wish8,000-Stick GomaGanfuji (Prayer for Healing from Cancer)
Gan-fuji (prayer for healing from cancer) is offered to Bhaisajyaguru, Byodoji's principal Buddha, for recovery from cancer, peace of body and mind, and the wish to keep the illness from returning or taking hold. This guide explains requests by patients and family members, Yakushi Goma, what information is made public, and the relationship between prayer, medical care, and support services.
Detailed guide to Ganfuji prayers for healing from cancerAñjali
Praying here and now
Añjali means joining the palms. Join your palms before the screen and offer your wish to the Buddha. Offerings can be made here as well.
Learn more about AñjaliByodoji Temple Online Prayer
A name read aloud in prayer
Give your name and wish, and the priest will read them aloud in the main hall. You can watch the reading on the livestream and receive word by email or LINE when it is done. You do not need to write your details on paper for a stranger.
Apply for a prayerVisitor Information
Opening hours, stamp fees, and prayer information
Opening Hours
- Main hall: 06:00 - 17:00From 08:00 on days without the morning service
- Stamp office: 08:00 - 17:00
- Temple gate: Open at all times
Admission
- Adults: Free
- Children: Free
Parking
- Pilgrimage buses: Free
- Private cars: Free
- You are welcome to use the parking area freely for pilgrimage and worship.
- Commercial use unrelated to Byodoji's religious or public-interest activities is generally not permitted.
Stamp Fees (Goshuin)
- Pilgrimage stamp book: 500 yen
- Hanging scroll: 700 yen
- White robe: 300 yen
O-sugata sacred image cards
- Color: 200 yen
- Black and white: 100 yen
Prayer Guide
One wish: 500 yen
Healing from illness, the gan-fuji cancer prayer, strong legs and hips
- Yakushi Goma every Sunday at 3:00 PM
- Yakushi Goma on the 8th of each month at 8:00 PM
Long life, health, removal of misfortune, and good fortune
- Fudo Goma on the 28th of each month at 8:00 PM
Children's growth and memorial prayers for unborn children
- Jizo Goma on the 24th of each month at 8:00 PM
Victory, financial luck, and rising fortune
- Bishamonten Goma on the 1st of each month at 8:00 PM
Health and peaceful rebirth
- Juichimen Goma on the 18th of each month at 8:00 PM
Please check the application form for wooden prayer tablets, amulets, and other offerings.
Request a prayer serviceMorning and Evening Services
Reading prayer names aloud: Free
- Morning service: 06:00 - 08:00
- Evening service: 16:00 - 18:00 (not every day)
due to travel or funerals.
See the ceremony calendar
for evening service dates.
The morning and evening services at Byodoji last about two hours, making them among the longest on the Shikoku pilgrimage. More than 150 prayer and memorial requests are read aloud free of charge at every service.
You may request prayers for gan-fuji, and for the worries of ordinary days.
Request a prayer serviceAfter each service there is time for questions and answers, so sending your question in advance helps us respond smoothly.
Ask a questionAccess
Highway
30.7 km from Tokushima-Tsuda IC
- By car: 60 min
Train
2.0 km from JR Niino Station
- On foot: 30 min
Ferry
33.2 km from Nankai Ferry Tokushima Port
- By car: 60 min
Airplane
44 km from Tokushima Awaodori Airport
- By car: 150 min
Walking
From Temple No. 21 Tairyuji (about 13 km)
- By car: 25 min
- On foot: about 4 hours
From Temple No. 23 Yakuoji (about 20.3 km)
- By car: 25 min
- On foot: about 5 hours
Location
Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Temple No. 22
Koyasan Shingon Buddhism Quasi-Head Temple
Hakusui-zan Io-in Byodoji Temple
Anan, Tokushima 779-1510 Japantel. 0884-36-3522fax. 0884-36-2023contactus@byodoji.online
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Byodoji Temple?
Byodoji Temple was founded in 814 by Kobo Daishi Kukai. As a quasi-head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect, it is the 22nd temple of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and welcomes many pilgrims from Japan and abroad.
What sect does Byodoji belong to?
Byodoji belongs to the Koyasan Shingon sect. Its head temple is Kongobuji on Mount Koya.
When was Byodoji founded?
Byodoji was founded in 814 by Kobo Daishi Kukai. You can read more on the history page.
Who is the principal deity of Byodoji?
The principal deity is Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha. Kobo Daishi Kukai enshrined this Buddha here with the vow to equally heal the illnesses of all people in mind and body.
What do people pray for at Byodoji?
Prayers concerning cancer and prayers for sound legs and back have long been offered here. You may also request prayers for yakumetsu, recovery from eye ailments, and peace of mind. Prayer is not medical care and does not replace diagnosis or treatment.
What is the gan-fuji prayer?
It is a prayer before Bhaisajyaguru for recovery from illness, safe examinations, surgery and treatment, and peace of body and mind for people facing cancer. Prayer is not medical care and does not replace diagnosis or treatment.
Why are prayers for the legs and back told here?
In the Taisho era, Rinnosuke Tsutsui, who could not walk after a spinal illness, is said to have been pulled around the Shikoku pilgrimage in a box cart by his father Fukuji. After prayer and water at Byodoji he later walked again, and the cart was offered to the temple. Charms and prayers for the legs and back are still given.
What is Yakumetsu?
Yakumetsu is a unique goma prayer ritual developed at Byodoji with the aim of completely extinguishing misfortune. Whereas ordinary rites may be understood as transferring misfortune elsewhere, Yakumetsu is intended to remove it at the root.
What time is the morning service?
It begins at 6:00 each morning. You can also watch on the livestream. There is no fee to request a reading.
When are the goma fire rituals held?
Yakushi Goma every Sunday at 15:00
Bishamonten Goma on the 1st of each month at 20:00
Yakushi Ennichi Goma on the 8th of each month at 20:00
Juichimen Kannon Goma on the 18th of each month at 20:00
Fudo Myoo Goma on the 28th of each month at 20:00
When did the 24-hour live stream begin?
It began on April 26, 2020. The very first live broadcast was a major ceremony on January 19, 2020, and test operation for the 24-hour stream started on April 20 of the same year.
Why does Byodoji live stream the temple?
It began from the wish to let people who found it difficult to climb the steps to the main hall still worship the principal image. Later, when visitors decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued so that prayer would remain available anytime and anywhere.
We also see the stream as reflecting the way Dainichi Nyorai, the central Buddha of Shingon Buddhism, teaches in every place and at every moment.
Can I watch the live stream anytime?
Yes. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.